Honda's Mexico nightmare lasted five laps. Both Aston Martins retired before the race truly began, victims of ERS cooling circuits buckling under the thin air at 7,400 feet. The new power units lack the MGU-H that used to support the turbo in the altitude, and Honda misjudged the thermal load. Practice told lies—144 laps completed, Alonso within eight-tenths of Leclerc in FP2—but when it mattered, both cars died in Q1 and didn't see lap six. The Adrian Newey chassis showed speed; Alonso's sector times on a full tank nearly matched race-winner Carlos Sainz's pace. But potential means nothing when you can't finish. This was Alonso's seventh DNF of the season, and Aston's reliability crisis has now burned through goodwill and patience. Honda has a year to solve the cooling puzzle before Mexico returns. The 2027 car won't get the benefit of the doubt.
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